#eld au

[darkdemeter]

SET UP FOR THE FALL DARKSIDERS

Finally four are reunited, having been summoned to the earth when the seventh seal shattered. The oath of their pact beckoning the Horsemen to ride and assort their final judgment unto all before them. Before the plot that sought both their extinction and humanity’s was discovered, this task was considered a grim yet necessary task. A grand culling — territory not unknown to the Four — that would then align the order of balance and the pact reforged. 

How wrong the Horsemen were, now realising that their arrival would have extinguished humanity’s flame into a sizzling wire of smoke; never to rise again. If not the impatient incursion of heaven, the hungering wrath of hell and the heinous envy of the council – it would have been them that the third kingdom fell into ruin. Another species annihilated by their hand, foolishly blinded by the lawful facade of a coven who knew their time seated as a powerful government waned. 

The Four realise that they were being set up again for the fall. 

It was why Eden was attacked. Targeted by the Nephilim, a mixed union of angels and demons, cursed to wander all of creation without a place of belonging, forever spurned to find somewhere they could call their own. It had all been a ploy. A set up. Utilising the means of the Nephilim’s rage, their bloodlust and their desperate want for a home. 

Eden wasn’t just a home meant to sustain the kingdom of man and to nurse the growing womb of his counterpart, woman. But both sexes were to take their place on the glorious throne that was Eden and to become the official council that would initiate the balance between order and chaos. A bodied government that the Creator would finally grace the rest of creation through. 

It was why Lucifer’s scheme hadn’t been foiled earlier. Why the Horsemen were separated into splintering factions, hindering their combined power and the ultimate of their success. Had all four been sent, Lucifer’s plot would have been foiled. Humanity would not have been poisoned by the sins. Time would come that they see the unfair and darker nature of creation, but their compass of justice would not have been so slain. 

It was why the Eld’hyunens’ bloodline, humanity’s stationed protectors, paved the way for the fall; eliminated to thus leave the fledgling kingdom unprotected. 

This is a mix between a lore drop pertaining to the Eld au + a personal theory of mine

[thena0315]

[eldritcmor]

DRABBLE

You came back wrong.

It took a while for the team to get back into Las Almas Base. Even then it was a challenge for the Monsters and Hybrids of 141 and Mexican special forces. Gaping maws in the earth filled with drip stone like teeth would suddenly open up beneath their feet. The trees would violently sway in the thunder shrieking winds as fat Heavy rain clouds let loose on the torn soil. All the while they couldn’t get the image of your corpse leaning in the doorway of your cell turned tomb, smiling over Graves’ shoulder as the earth gave way to teeth and blood at your cry.

The vampire had barely had enough to time to turn before concrete slicked into mud. He went tumbling with his thralls into a gaping chasm lined with obsidian fangs. Pain wracked his body as Those under his control were dashed against glass stone. He tried to pull his thralls to him. To call to The piece of his essence in each and every single one. No one came. He growled and tried again. No one. He looked up to the top of the pit only to see your dead eye’s mere inches from his, head cocked to the side as if listening.

A slow creeping smile stretched your pale blue lips, revealing rows of obsidian teeth. Graves barely had the energy to scramble back. He ignored the sting of glass piercing his palms as He pushed himself, further and further from whatever the fuck you were. A wail cried high in the pit and Graves flinched as Your head snapped to the noise. He would never forget the grinding crunch of bone if he made it out of this. Between one blink and the next, you were gone. Nothing but the clicking of volcanic glass in your wake.

Graves gathered himself, breathing harshly. The reports had said you were The 141’s weak link. A fragile human among powerful monsters. He had thought of Turning you into one of his Thralls. Making You a shadow. But, then. Well orders were orders, and Graves was nothing if not decently loyal to the people writing his check.

Shepherd wanted to rile The 141 up. Make them show their true colors. You were just the poor little human, that had wormed your way into the team’s heart.

He had drawn it out, after The transfer of the base went to shit with Ghost, Alejandro, and Soap escaping. Had taken his time with draining your life, drop by drop over the course of several days. Till your dinky little Cell became your tomb. After that it was a waiting game, and He got so tired of waiting. He decided to send a message to entice the 141. You weren’t supposed to come back.

Gaz stared at the massive black maw in the middle of Las Almas base. The place was deadly quiet. Not even the rain seemed to make a sound in the presence of the Obsidian Mouth. This was your doing?

He landed on a crumbled building at just the edge of the pit. He peered down trying to make sense of where shadows ended and black volcanic rock began, when he saw it. Bodies. Lots of Bodies. Twisted, Broken Bodies Lined the lowest points of the pit. Spiked through with Glittering shards of obsidian.

The harpy leaned further, flexing his wings and burying his talons in the concrete of the building to keep himself stable. A little red patch caught his eyes. Graves private little army. Shadows, then. He squinted. Something was off about the bodies though. They were pale. Not lack of sunlight pale. Blood loss pale. He finally let go of his perch and smoothly dropped into a swoop, right into the pit. The temperature hit him first. One would expect a deep maw of rock and earth to be cool maybe even cold. No, it was warm like a furnace, bordering on Hot.

Gaz’s mouth tightened in concentration as he landed next to one of the Shadow bodies. The obsidian had torn the poor thing apart but that didn’t explain the complete blood loss. The harpy kicked at the body. Something was off and Gaz was lost.

“Captain.”

The Dragon’s voice crackled through the radio clipped to his flight harness.

“Yes, Gaz?”

“Do you know any creatures that would drain a thrall dry?”

The captain humphed. “No.”

“Well something did. Every single body in this pit is completely drained.”

“Could be a ritual. We haven’t ruled out possession.”

Gaz flipped the body over. There! A thin channel formed into the glass, almost like someone was melting the glass as they dragged their finger through it.

“No we haven’t. I’ll keep poking around.”

“Be careful, Garrick.”

“Always am, sir.”

The harpy followed the trail. Meeting more and more thin little channels of dried blood. He barely noticed as the ground sloped. Pooling the channels into rivers til finally a deep pool formed at the very bottom of the pit.

Gaz stood at the edge of a massive dip, a single pillar of obsidian erected in the center. The walls of the pit were eating the sky, as Gaz peered up at the sun. The sun? Gaz had flown in under storm and wind. Is this what you saw before you left?

Gaz threw himself into the air. He knew you were long gone. The obsidian maw proved it. The maw’s spewed heat when formed. This one had long cooled. None of the bodies were burned.

taglist: @skylordgrey @bluegiragi @batw3nch @stick-the-dumbass @lilpothoscuttings @im-making-an-effort @stupidwingboy @apocalypticseagull @resident-cryptid @warenai @sleepyendymion @sellenedragon @queenofwolves210 @ummmmmbeans @makayla-666 @gogh-with-the-flow @diejager

[soupalley]

swagless teen vs dripped out gilf

a literal fever dream turned au in collaboration with my good friend @kasketeru , resulting in their wonderful fic

twirls hair and kicks my feet

[kaoru-nk]

How my OC has changed in thirteen years of her life in snk. AU where some characters have survived.[2] Update after the final.

[pickalilywrites]

Saw the fanart of Levi as the torch runner for the Paris Olympics, makes me think that Levi really could do the entire running stunt all over the city.

That would make a great fic au. The AOT characters are Olympians and Levi, being a former 25 timed gold medalist has retired, but is asked to be the special guest torch runner and light the flame to start the games.

passing the torch

snk ensemble. olympics au. 2994 words.

The athletes wait in anticipation as the passing of the torch is displayed on the stadium’s screen. It begins on the top of the Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, a beautiful structure constructed in the late 19th century that looks more akin to a castle than a church with its tall towers and stained glass windows. Standing beside one of the grandiose towers is a hooded figure with a mask on. In the mysterious figure’s hand is the Olympic torch blazing brightly. The camera orbits around the figure before switching to match the figure’s gaze: a view of the magnificent city of Paris. The view shifts from the bustling cobblestone streets, the river Seine, the Eiffel tower, the Louvre, and other famous Parisian monuments. The camera moves slowly to give the audience a clear view of all Paris has to offer before it returns once more the hooded figure who slowly reaches up to remove his mask and reveal his face. When his face is uncovered, the stadium filled with athletes erupts in cheers. 

“Tonight is the opening ceremony of the Olympics. As the athletes wait to be introduced, we are given an apt beginning to the ceremony with someone who many consider the face of the Olympics and one of the greatest of athletes of all time: 25-time Olympic gold medalist in men's artistic gymnastics Levi Ackerman,” announces Ilse Langer, a sports announcer once again returning to cover the Olympics. A few returning athletes and many first-time Olympians chatter excitedly when they recognize her voice. The sports announcer is a favorite due to her incredible ability to break down all the technical aspects of different Olympic events clearly and concisely. “He’s returning now for his fifth Olympics, but this time as the torch bearer and not as a competing athlete. While his absence in the men's artistic gymnastics event will be sorely missed, his appearance at the opening ceremony is undoubtedly a welcome sight to his peers and newcomers as well as folks at home watching who have followed his elite career for decades.”  

 The camera stills on the gymnast for a moment and then the gymnast turns suddenly and begins to run across the top of the cathedral. He nears the edge of the building but rather than stop, he jumps and then miraculously lands on nearby structure. He dashes and leaps from building to building, giving the camera a chance to capture all the beautiful French architecture as he traverses the city. When Levi approaches the river Seine, there is a zipline waiting for him. Without hesitating, he flies across the river, zipping through the air on the line. 

“Oh my god, I can’t believe he’s ziplining through Paris as if parkouring wasn’t enough,” Eren says admirably. He’s on the men's swim team representing Paradis, but he holds the utmost respect for the gymnast despite them being in completely different disciplines. “Isn’t that hard on his knees? I can’t believe he came back to do this. Shouldn’t his knees be, like, super fucked up from gymnastics and everything? He’s incredible.”  

Pieck, an equestrian athlete, side-eyes the swimmer. A smile plastered on her face, she says warningly, “Please watch your language, Eren. Some athletes here are still quite young and impressionable and might pick up your bad habits. Just the other day I overheard Gabi telling Falco she was going to ‘raw-dog’ the shooting event. When I asked her where she learned that term, she told me you said it meant to go into something without any preparation.”  

Eren’s face flushes. “Well, that is how people use it,” he mumbles. 

“That’s true. It’s kind of interesting how language evolves and takes different meanings as it’s passed around,” Armin begins eagerly, but he shrinks when Pieck directs her gaze towards him. The athlete, Eren’s teammate on the swim team, coughs. “Of course, it’s still true we should be careful how we speak among the younger athletes.”  

Pieck nods, the vaguely threatening smile still on her face. “I’m glad you agree with me. I’d hate to put the entire men's swim team on my watchlist.”  

However, Gabi and the other young athletes are too enraptured by Levi Ackerman leaping and dashing across rooftops and famous Parisian monuments to pay any attention to what Eren and Pieck are discussing. Despite being in completely different disciplines, the youngest athletes have found a kinship with each other and have stuck to each other during their Olympic journey so far. It’s their first time at the Olympic games and they’re absolutely starstruck by all the other top athletes around them, especially the one on the stadium’s screen.  

“I can’t believe he’s here! I thought he retired after the last Olympics. I can’t believe we’re at the same Olympics as Levi Ackerman,” Gabi gushes. Her brown eyes are glued to the screen, unable to look away at the gymnast performing some of his signature flips and twists as he jumps from building to building. 

Udo, a table tennis player and one of Gabi’s companions, nods in agreement. His eyes are similarly fixed on the screen. The spectacles sitting on the bridge of his nose make his eyes look even wider as he watches Levi with a gaze filled with awe. “I cried for an entire week after I heard he was retiring.”  

Both Falco and Zofia, two more young athletes that Gabi and Udo had befriended on the trip to Paris, nod in agreement. 

Petra, a rhythmic gymnast, has her arms wrapped gently around Falco. It’s her third Olympics, making her a veteran athlete that many look up to. Her charming and warm personality makes it easy for people to approach her and so this young batch of new Olympians naturally found themselves in her care. Now, she smiles down at them and asks, “Would you like to meet him sometime? I could probably arrange something once your events are over. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind meeting you all or at least having a videocall.”  

“Really? You can do that?” Falco asks, turning to look at the rhythmic gymnast.  

“Absolutely,” Petra says cheerfully.  

“Wow! You guys must be close,” Udo says with a tinge of jealousy.  

“Well, it’s something like that,” Petra laughs as the teenagers practically vibrate with excitement.  

Eren frowns as he overhears the conversation. He’s been a long-time admirer of Levi and had even bumped into the gymnast in the last Olympic games, but he had struggled to strike up a conversation with him.  

“I exchanged numbers with Levi at the last games, but he never texted me back,” Eren sighs. “I wonder what his relationship with Petra is that she can ask him for favors like that so easily.”  

Armin and Mikasa exchange looks with Mikasa rolling her eyes.  

“God, you’re dense,” Mikasa says with a shake of her head and Armin laughs beside her. Like Armin and Eren, Mikasa is also a swimmer. This is her third time at the Olympics, and she’s well on track to becoming one of the most decorated swimmers of all time if her times at the Olympic Trials are any indication.  

“What? What did I say?” Eren asks. He looks at Mikasa and Armin, but neither of his friends offer him an explanation. He huffs and begins to complain about them leaving him in the dark, but someone throws their arms around Eren and Mikasa without warning and Eren yelps in surprise. 

“Ah, did I scare you?” Hanji grins. The sports climber gives Eren a cheeky wink as they pull Eren and Mikasa closer for a hug. “I’m surprised to see you all here. Don’t the swimmers usually sit out of the opening ceremony because your event is the next day?”  

Armin gives Hanji a shrug and a little laugh. “Mikasa also said we should take a day to rest, but Eren really wanted to go to the opening ceremony. I guess it’s a good thing we did or else we would have missed Levi’s appearance.”  

Eren waves off Hanji’s concerns. “Hey, we’re young still and we rested really well on the flight here. Anyway, there are other athletes that are attending the ceremony even though they have an event tomorrow. Look at Eld and Gunther!”  

At the mention of their names, both gymnasts look in Eren’s direction and give the swimmer a wave.  

“Hey, Eren! Looks like you decided to go to the ceremony too! Sure as hell beats resting and missing out on all this,” Eld says, gesturing at the big screen where Levi is sneaking around the Palace of Versailles.  

Both Eld and Gunther had previously participated in Olympic games and had the honor of being on the same men’s gymnastics team as Levi. The experience was something they treasured even more than the team gold they had won at the last game.  

“It feels a little strange being here,” Gunther chuckles. “Levi had always sat out, so we never went until now. It’ll probably be our last time here, so we wanted to experience it at least once.”  

“Well, you should have stayed in your hotel room and rested instead!” a voice says suddenly and both Gunther and Eld jump back in surprise as Auruo, a trampoline athlete, appears between them. He has a stern expression on his face as he glares at Eld and then Gunther. “If neither of you medal, you’re going to burn Levi’s legacy to the ground and everything he’s achieved will be for nothing! Of course, I’ll do well because I always do, but you two should really take care of yourselves.”  

Auruo lets out an unholy shriek when he feels a sharp sting at his side. He’s sniffling even once it stops, the memory of the sudden pinch at his side still lingering. He looks sorely at Petra who smiles as if she hasn’t done anything wrong. 

“Levi’s legacy is Levi’s. Eld and Gunther could never touch it even if they wanted to, but they have their own legacies to write. Stop stressing them out and just let them do their best like they always do,” Petra tells Auruo. She pokes him in the side where she had pinched him earlier and he lets out another startled yell. “Worry about your own legacy. I’ll definitely tell Levi as soon as possible if you don’t medal.”  

“That won’t happen because I’ll definitely medal,” Auruo growls, rubbing at his side as he glares at the rhythmic gymnast. 

“Glad to hear it,” Petra says cheerfully. 

Pieck looks around and observes the other athletes representing Paradis. Some have sat out to prepare for their events taking place tomorrow, but there are some faces she doesn’t expect to see.  

“I thought you wouldn’t care to attend the opening ceremony, Annie,” Pieck says. The equestrian rider smiles as she loops her arm through Annie who tries to close the gap between her arm and her side far too late. Pieck rests her head on Annie’s shoulder.  

“It’s not like I wanted to go. Reiner just wouldn’t stop bothering me about it, so I decided to come to shut him up,” Annie huffs. She’s a fencer whose event doesn’t take place until a few days into the Olympic games, but Annie has never cared about fanfare and overblown celebrations. The only thing she hated more than crowded ceremonies was Reiner’s nagging. She glares at the direction of the cyclist who’s busy enjoying himself and chatting beside his colleagues. “I wanted to stay in my hotel room and sleep.”  

“Poor you. Should I get someone to carry you? Maybe the wrestling brothers?” Pieck teases, referring to Porco and Marcel Galliard. She glances at someone hovering shyly behind them. With a sly smile, Pieck suggests, “Bertholdt could probably carry you. I’m sure you could nap on his back during the opening ceremony and he wouldn’t mind at all.”  

“H-huh?” Bertholdt stammers, his face flushing at the thought of being in such close proximity to Annie who remains oblivious about his feelings towards her. “I don’t know-”  

“Stop talking nonsense,” Annie tells Pieck. She looks at Bertholdt warningly. “Don’t you dare pick me up.”  

“O-okay,” Bertholdt says, looking down at his feet so that he doesn’t have to make eye contact with Annie.  

A hush comes over the stadium as they watch Levi make the final stretch of his journey. He’s approaching the Olympic stadium now and all the athletes wait with bated breath for his figure to appear. Their eyes are fixed on the entrance of the stadium and when Levi’s silhouette finally emerges, the entire stadium erupts in explosive cheers. The cheering doesn’t cease until Levi finally hands the torch off to a French athlete who takes it graciously before running to finally light the Olympic cauldron with the flame. Even though the games have officially begun with the lighting of the flame, all eyes are still fixed on the gymnast who jogs to the join his old colleagues.  

“Levi! I didn’t think you’d be the type to do those types of stunts for the opening ceremony,” Erwin chuckles as he welcomes his old friend.  

Beside him, Erwin’s beach volleyball partner Mike nods. There’s an amused grin on his face. “Did they pay you a lot for it? I can’t imagine any amount of money that would have you do that.”  

“My agent said I would only have to do a reveal of my face at the end and they’d get a stunt person for most of it. Then the stunt person mysteriously disappeared,” Levi grumbles. “I should fire my agent for not reading the contract properly.”  

“Well, I thought it was amazing. Very entertaining,” Zeke says with a grin.  

Levi looks at Zeke and then at Erwin and Mike with an expression of incredulity and betrayal. “Zeke? You’re talking to Zeke?”  

“Oh, come on. We’re all friends. After all, everyone is here to represent Paradis,” Zeke says. The captain and pitcher of Paradis’ baseball team throws an arm around Levi’s shoulders.  

Levi shoots Erwin a gaze filled with a million daggers.  

Gabi and her friends have only grown more excited now that Levi has joined the rest of them. Udo looks as if he might faint just being in the gymnast’s presence. 

Sasha prods Gabi in the back. “If you want to say hi, just wave at him.”  

Gabi looks back at Sasha. “Can I do that? I can just wave at him? What if he ignores me? What if he thinks I'm an annoying brat?”  

“He’s actually a lot softer than he looks,” Sasha laughs. The archer gently prods Gabi again, an encouraging smile on her face. “Go on. If you miss your chance now, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”  

“Alright,” Gabi says. She takes a deep breath and looks determinedly in Levi’s direction. She waits until his gaze meets hers. She immediately wants to look down, intimidated at the thought of being acknowledged by such a skilled athlete, but she steels herself and brings her hand up in a wave. She doesn’t expect Levi to wave back, but he does and her face breaks into a smile. 

“Oh my god, he waved at you!” Udo marvels.  

“Me too, me too!” Zofia says. The little archer waves enthusiastically at Levi and the rest of her friends follow suit, nearly hitting other nearby athletes in the face in their excitement.  

“I can die happy now,” Udo says. He brings his hand to his chest, his whole being filled with contentment after the brief moment he shared with his favorite athlete.  

“At least wait until you play your table tennis match to die,” Sasha jokes. “We need you!” 

Beside her, Connie yawns. The Olympic skateboarder is usually someone who enjoys extravagant ceremonies such as this one, but recently he’s been enraptured by something else. He looks over a Jean, his lower lip in a pout, and asks, “When can we go back to the Olympic Village? If I knew the ceremony would take this long I would have stuffed some of those chocolate muffins into my jacket.”  

“You need to stop eating all of those,” Jean says with a roll of his eyes. “One of the chefs is getting annoyed at having to bake so many at once.” 

“If Nicolo is so bothered, then he should stop being so good at baking!” Connie grins. 

Petra and the other gymnasts have managed to give Levi an escape from Zeke by wrestling him away so they could chat with him. The gymnasts crowd around their retired colleague. Their smiles are so wide that it’s a wonder that their faces haven’t cracked in half.  

“I thought you were retired, Levi. What are you doing back here?” Eld asks, nudging Levi in the side. 

“Did you miss us? Could you not bear the idea of us participating in an Olympics without you?” Petra teases.  

“Don’t be stupid. They just asked me for a favor and I decided it was easy cash,” Levi replies.  

“Still, you’re here with the rest of the participating athletes,” Gunther points out.  

“To make sure you guys don’t mess up probably,” Auruo sniffs.  

“To pass the torch,” Levi clarifies, and his friends ooh.  

“How kind of you. I’m always telling people you’re much kinder than you let on,” Petra teases. “Are you nervous that we’ll come home with fewer gold medals now that you’re not here to help us?”  

Paradis is a small country and the number of athletes the island has sent to participate in the Olympics can’t compare to larger countries, but the athletes Paradis does have are a strong-willed, passionate, and talented bunch. Over the years, the performance of Paradis athletes has only improved. Even this time, the Paradis athletes have gazes filled with an undeniable flame that is reminiscent of the fire reflected in Levi’s eyes the first time he had participated in the games. 

“No, not at all,” Levi replies, and he absolutely means it.  

[thelostrainbowthenovel]

🌿 Winx Club AU: Idalia, Witch of Herbs 🌿

================================================

Next up for the witches, we have Idalia! The first/original witch from my novel, and who obviously was always a witch in this AU. In canon she is a dual herb and healing witch that primarily uses her abilities and potions for cures, but for the sake of the AU I decided to just make her the "Witch of Herbs" since herbs can be used in healing practices. But yeah, I hope you enjoy!

Some extra notes about her witch form:

Her skirt would be a jade/olive green color, with the edges/ruffles of the skirt shaped to resemble flames a bit more to call back to her Feorian heritage. The belt holding her potions would be black, with her having various potions or jars of herbs attached to it. Her boots would be primarily black with the tiny portion being the same orange color as her top and the laces + other details being a darker color of her skirt. The bracelet would be on both wrists, with some gems being an red-orange color.

Her hair is the same, let loose and a little more unkempt, with some extra subtle highlights. Her makeup is quite natural, consisting of natural-colored eyeshadow and brown eyeliner, light coral lip-gloss, and clear/nude nails with herbs and plants painted on them.

[pearl-crystals]

Something that I made a couple of days ago! We need more stuff from the Shadow Pokemon series. My thoughts are that Eldes and Ardos see the other admins as a rag tag team of people.

That and in my head, because Loverina reads as a pre-teen, both herself and brother got in from a previous admin. Which one? I think it's a good guess which one, haha. *edit note, I think it may be Venux or Ein, idk

Also I apologies for my markers, they decided to explode on me while making art. But I love how the rest of it came out despite it doing this.

I've included the blank version underneath!

[naschkater-com]

Bonbons und Toffees aus der DDR-Süßwarenfabrik VEB Nordfrucht Elde Parchim

[spicerackofblorbos]

click me for the event information and masterlist!

Invisible String - Taylor Swift Levi Ackerman x gen!reader

And isn't it just so pretty to think All along there was some Invisible string Tying you to me?

☾ content/warnings ➼ blood, death, canon world, reincarnation au, modern au, college au, soulmate au ☾ wc ➼ ~800 (yes I know I said drabbles I'M SORRY)

Various earthy colors streak in your vision as you feel yourself catapulting through the trees. The harsh breeze of the cool summer air is the only nice thing about this moment, as you find yourself once again zipping from tree to tree as if your life depended on it – which it very much did.

Heavy stomping from behind you sends chills up your spine as you do your best not to look behind, something you know will be more of a detriment. But not that it mattered, because suddenly you feel your ODM cords snagging on something. Instead of flying to the next tree, you’re pulled up into the air.

With fearful and widened eyes, you are now staring face to face with a 14-meter blonde titan who held you up by the cords like a fish on a line, blue eyes piercing straight through you. As if you were nothing to it.

You whimper, your fingers desperately squeezing on your levers as if that would help your situation – it was obvious that your gear was damaged beyond repair. Your squad mate Eld is yelling your name, telling you to hold on. He was on his way.

Hold on to what, though?

“I’m sorry.” You cry out before you’re flung through the trees, back hitting flat against a tree branch before falling for who knows how long until you impact onto the muddy and leaf-littered forest floor.

You’re unsure of how much time has passed. You’re not dead, but the raspy and shallow breathing told you death was on its way. You couldn’t feel your fingers and toes, nor could you wiggle them. Weirdly, you felt no pain – whether that was from the injuries or shock, you couldn’t say.

You’re staring up at the treetops, sun rays breaking through the upper tree branches that sway in the wind. How pretty.

Someone is calling your name again. It seems so close, yet so distant, and while you wish you could look around to see who it was that needed you, your body fails to respond.

“Hey.” A shadow falls on your face. After a few slow blinks, your numb brain finally registers that it was Levi towering over you. His brows are furrowed, eyes downturned, cheeks red and lips frowning at the corners.

“Why do you look so sad, Captain?” You whisper, your voice hoarse. A few coughs escape you, red spraying all over your face and a little on Levi’s dirt-stained shirt.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be here.” He whispers down at you. There’s a tremble in his voice, something you’ve never heard before. You watch him pull out his cravat and dab at your face, all while keeping his gaze on yours.

“No, I’m sorry I couldn’t-“ Another cough. Another spray of red.

“Stop. You did well.” He places a calloused hand on your cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the warm tears that had slid down the sides of your face. The cold metal of his wedding band, the one matching yours, serves as a comfort as you feel yourself struggling to breathe.

“I love you.”

“I love you. You’ll see me again, I promise.”

-

Idle chatter surrounds you as you stare hard at the textbook in front of you. Your teeth bite down hard on your bottom lip, irritation evident in your expression. Passersby might think it’s because you’re studying a frustrating topic, but really, it’s because most would think to be quiet in a library.

Clearly college students don’t get the memo.

In a huff, you push yourself away from the desk you had claimed an hour ago and start for the in-library café for a caffeine boost. For once there’s no line and you sigh through your nose as you step up to the register, lips parted as you look at your tea bag options.

“What can I get you?”

The most deadpan tone you’ve ever heard comes from a man about your age, black hair almost covering his stark grey-blue eyes that pierce straight into you. His eyebrows are furrowed, lips in a thin line. He’s wearing a gray button down, the top button open to show a necklace with a single gold ring looped on the chain. Something pulls on your heart, followed by a strange tingling sensation throughout your body.

“Have I met you before?” You ask, dumbfounded. He feels familiar to you.

“No. I just transferred here.” You don’t miss the subtle flash of unknown familiarity in his eyes as well. “What can I get you?” He repeats.

“Uh, hot water please. And an earl grey tea bag.” You can’t stop staring as you pull out your student card.

“Great.”

You both stare awkwardly at each other for another minute after closing the transaction before he finally looks away, clearing his throat.

“Thanks.” You smile softly then turn on your heels in the direction of where you left your things.

After a few steps, a sudden visual of green fabric flapping in the wind makes you stop dead in your tracks. You blink hard and suddenly you’re back in the library. Twisting your head, you look back at the familiar barista, whose eyes were still stuck on you.

You hope you’ll see him again.

[yourlocaltrashcan657]

Rich CEO

Yandere! Erwin Smith x Female Reader Modern AU

Working for a big company wasn’t as stressing as it seemed. Y/N had the smarts, skills and knowledge for anything really and that’s what made her a great worker. That is of course if she was a proper worker, she had been an intern for so long along with her three friends Armin, Mikasa and Eren. 

Even Armin had the smarts and skills just like her but in a massive company, not a lot of people are going to be so impressed or interested in interns. Mikasa could work quite well and completed any tasks set whereas Eren was.. questionable.

Still, being friends from the very start of their lives meant that they wouldn’t have any sort of struggle to stay close to one another. And like any other morning, the 4 friends left their apartment to go to their shitty job.

Walking to the massive building, the group had talked amongst themselves and laughed at a couple of jokes until a Rolls Royce had drove past.

”Damn, look at that car!” Eren exclaimed as it stopped at the traffic light. “Why do all the rich people get such good stuff, and we have to walk to work?”

”Eren calm down. As much as we want a cool car, I guess we just have to wait until we’re rich like that.” Y/N said.

”And how the hell are we supposed to do that when we’re still crappy interns?” Eren asked as he watched the Rolls Royce drive off.

”I don’t know, but I think walking to work for 15 minutes won’t kill you, Eren.” Mikasa muttered.

Reaching the building, the group saw the Rolls Royce at the front of the building. Out came a very wealthy man. He had blonde hair which was neatly combed, blue eyes and was extremely tall. He was basically the more advanced version of Armin.

”Woah.” Eren mumbled as he walked in after the business man, not wanting to tumble or fall over in front of him. Making their way to their offices, Y/N set down her stuff and walked over to the files and began working with Armin.

”That guys looked like you Armin, only a bit different.” Y/N said.

”A bit different.? You must be trying to be nice Y/N, he looks way more different.” Armin chuckled as he began writing information and details.

“It’s alright Armin, you have things that most people don’t. If we’re talking about looks.. you might want a haircut. You look like a girl.” Y/N mumbled.

”Huh?!” Armin exclaimed. Eren and Mikasa soon came after them and began talking to each other, knowing they wouldn’t get in trouble from actual workers.

”Y’know Y/N, you’re really pretty. I don’t know how a guy just hasn’t hit on you yet.” Eren randomly said.

”Eren that was so random!” Y/N laughed out. “And thanks for the compliment.”

”The reason no one’s hit on her is because Mikasa just wouldn’t allow it.” Armin explained.

”Huh?!” Y/N exclaimed as she turned to look at Mikasa in shock.

”Remember Jean? He didn’t get a chance to take you on a date because during her goth phase, Mikasa threatened to perform a ritual to possess him if he did.” Armin said before writing in his journal.

”Jean too?! I thought Reiner was the only one..” Eren mumbled.

”How many guys did you threaten Mikasa?!” Y/N asked as she looked at the quiet girl.

”I don’t remember.. 26?” Mikasa shyly muttered, shocking the trio in front of her. This was the groups average conversation.

”Hey interns.” A worker said, getting the groups attention. “One of you give this important file to the CEO’s assistant.”

”The CEO?!” Eren exclaimed.

”Not you, you’re too loud. Hey, pretty girl, you go do it.” The guy said as he handed her the file. “Don’t mess up, alright?”

”Okay.” Y/N said as she walked off. Pressing the elevator button, Y/N went to the top floor and walked over to the assistants desk.

”Can I help you?” The slightly old lady asked.

”I’ve been told to give this to you, I’m not sure what it is but it was given by someone called Eld.” Y/N said as she handed her the file.

”Thank you. You’re an intern I see. Would you like anything? I have some mints and sweets for you.” The lady said as she pushed forward the bowl. “Here take some, whilst I hand this to the CEO.”

”O-Okay.” Y/N stuttered out as she grabbed herself a mint and popped it into her mouth. The lady walked in to the much bigger office and handed the file before muttering something to her boss.

Glancing at the inside of the office, Y/N met eyes with the same blue ones that she saw not too long ago. That same wealthy looking man was her CEO. Erwin Smith. The assistant quickly rushed back and closed the door behind her and smiled at Y/N. 

“Sorry about that. Is there anything else?” The lady asked.

”No that’s it.. thank you for the mint.” Y/N said before leaving and going to the elevator. Reaching her office, Y/N began to work on whatever task she was given and occasionally talked to her friends. Finally, their shifts came to an end and the group had walked out of the building together.

”Hey Eren, you remember that guy that came out of the Rolls Royce?” Y/N asked.

”Yeah. what about him?” Eren asked as he looked at her, curious.

”He’s the CEO of the company.” Y/N said, making the group go shocked. “I had to give that file and when I did I saw him in his office.”

”Did you get to meet him? What was he like?” Armin asked.

”Oh I didn’t get to meet him but I saw him. I think he saw me too..” Y/N mumbled as she thought back to the moment.

Reaching the apartment, Y/N and Mikasa walked into their shared bedroom and got changed into casual clothes before going to the living room where Eren and Armin were sat in. Talking amongst themselves, they soon made themselves food and went for bed.

Erwin Smith. As everyone knew, he stayed later than anyone in the company. He had to think of the company’s future and the general business so of course he had to stay late. Right? Well not this time. After laying eyes on that woman, he just had to get to know her.

Going through the files, he found hers. Y/N L/N, she wasn’t a worker but an intern. Had necessary skills and experience for the workplace and was extremely knowledgeable in academic fields. Looks were amazing. Her (e/c) and (h/c) were exactly what Erwin wanted and with those remarkable features, it amazed him how such a wonderful woman could ever exist.

How to get her close to him without raising suspicion would be tricky. And who was he to judge based on appearance and grades? Surely he had to see her work and her general behaviour towards others. But he knew it would all fall into plan. 

.

.

.

“Eren! Get your lazy ass up, we’re going to be late for work!” Y/N said as she pulled the blanket off the sleeping boy. 

“Ugghh it’s only an internship.” Eren mumbled before falling of the bed. “Agh!”

They all got ready on time and left the building just in time. The same Rolls Royce was in front of the building and was much earlier than usual. Walking in, Y/N’s stuff had been tampered with. Walking over to Eren, Armin and Mikasa she had seen their stuff hadn’t.

“Why did your stuff get moved?” Armin asked curiously to himself.

“Maybe you got separated from this section since we do talk a bit too much.” Eren suggested.

”But we’re interns. Why would someone do something sill like that to interns?” Y/N asked.

”Hey you. Pretty Girl.” A worker name Gunther called out, Y/N and her friends turned to look at him. “We were told that you have to fill in for CEO’s assistant since she’s not in today.”

”The CEO?! Man, you get so lucky Y/N!” Eren said excitedly. “Its even cooler since we are interns.”

”You think working beside the CEO of one of the biggest companies is exciting?! It’s more like terrifying.” Armin said on behalf of Y/N.

”Y/N, if you need help then just call us on your phone okay? Don’t hesitate for a second, you never know what type of men are out there-“ Mikasa begun to say, trying to protect Y/N.

”I-I’ll be okay! It’s only being an assistant.” Y/N simply said as she made her way to the elevator. As she made her way to the desk, it seemed to have disappeared. What once was a long, dark brown desk had somehow just vanished. Y/N awkwardly stood at where the desk had been until the elevator made a ‘ding’ noise.

Turning around, Y/N saw the same man from yesterday. He had worn a dark blue suit this time and was holding a briefcase. Looking at Y/N, his heart stopped. He had finally looked at this beautiful woman properly. Walking up to Y/N, he towered over her before speaking up.

”You must be Y/N, yes?” Erwin asked.

”Y-yes. I was called to fill for your absent assistant.” Y/N said as she fully faced him. “Where will I be working? Her desk seems to have been moved.”

”Oh yes. Its been moved to my office which is a massive inconvenience. It’ll be fine though, you won’t need to use that silly radio button.” Erwin said as he smiled and opened his office door. “After you.”

Walking in, Y/N saw a grand office. It was spacious, modern and just the very floor would be of much more value than her. Walking over to her desk she sat down at the chair, her hands shaking with nervousness. Opening her work file, she filled in any missing documents that the regular assistant was meant to. The hour went by slowly as the clock had only read out 10:00.

”Y/N, could you be a good little assistant and get me that pen I dropped.” Erwin said looking over his desk to see a pen on the floor.

”Sure..” Y/N mumbled as she got up and bent down to pick it up, making sure to cover her cleavage. Handing it to Erwin, she didn’t see the gloom on his face. 

“Could you also make me some coffee? I know the machine is right there but I’m really busy. You understand don’t you?” Erwin asked as he locked his fingers with each other and leaned on his hands as his elbows rested on his desk.

”R-right.” Y/N said as she turned around and walked over to the coffee machine and began making Erwin’s coffee. As Y/N’s head was turned around, Erwin looked up and down at her body. How he wished he could grab her hips and see her face full of lust, her hair luscious and silky, her moans as his massive cock-

“S-sir?” Y/N called out, bringing Erwin back to reality and out of his thoughts. “Would you like sugar with this?”

”No, thank you for asking Y/N.” Erwin said as he looked down at the papers scattered across his desk. How he wished that she was his little housewife, wearing pretty dresses that he bought and picked out, carrying his children. Soon, his plan had to work. He had seen his little darling in person and how much of an angel she was.

”Here you go sir.” Y/N said as she handed him his mug of coffee. “I hope I made it right.”

”Thank you Y/N, im sure it’ll taste wonderful.” Erwin said as his fingers brushed against hers. Feeling her spine shiver, Erwin knew that he’d have to get her used to physical touch as his soon to be fiancée. Taking a sip of the well-made coffee he began to imagine how amazing her cooking must taste, sure this was only a cup of coffee but surely she had to be a great housewife.

Soon the day had ended, Y/N was quick to say goodbye and leave to go home with her friends. Erwin, as usual stayed late, and worked on the files and whatever else he had.

“Y/N, what did you do over there?” Eren asked whilst lying back down in the couch in his pants and sweatshirt. 

“Nothing to be honest. all I did was make coffee and write in files that the old assistant had to write in.” Y/N said as she plopped down on a sofa beside the window.

”You didn’t see any suspicious or weird behaviour right?” Mikasa asked.

”No no. It’s alright Mikasa, besides this internship is almost ending and we are almost done with university.” Y/N said as she sipped on her juice.

”As long as you are alright we are happy.” Armin said before reading his book.

“Thanks Armin.” Y/N mumbled as she smiled happily at him.

.

.

.

“You’ll be working as my assistant from now on Y/N. Of course, the pay will be rewarding if you do your job right. You’ll earn £96,276 every year which will be £8023 every month, if you need more you’ll have to work hard for it. Just sign at the bottom of the contract when you’re ready.” Erwin rambled as he leaned over the desk a bit and smirked at Y/N, pushing the contract forward.

Sat still in her tiny, uncomfortable chair, Y/N looked at the contract in shock. Just two days ago she was a stranger to him and now she was being granted a position in a n extremely successful company as the CEO’s assistant.

”I-I don’t know what to say!” Y/N said as she looked up at him. “I’m still in University so how will I be able to work.?”

”Don’t worry about that. I called your University and discussed this with them, they’ll forward you the information that you missed out on.” Erwin explained. “Of course, you’ll also get a free ride to here and you must have a uniform. Just sign the paper.”

Y/N could do this. With all that money, she’d be able to pay bills, buy groceries and would still have lots of cash still leftover. Not to mention that she would also be getting promoted for her behaviour and hard work. Grabbing the pen shakily, Y/N signed the paper and looked up at Erwin. Almost instantly as the pen left the paper, Erwin snatched it away and kept it in a safe document. 

“That’s a good girl..” Erwin mumbled to himself as he put it in his drawer and locked it. “Now then Y/N, let’s get straight to work shall we?” 

“What would you like me to do sir?” Y/N asked watching Erwin stand up and lean over the desk, face’s practically in each other’s. “s-sir?”

“You wanna be a good little assistant Y/N?” Erwin asked, gently grabbing her chin. Y/N sat paralysed, unable to move. Why was he touching her like this? How could she get away from him?

”S-sir could you please m-move bac-“ Y/N began to stutter out.

”Quiet doll. Get on your knees for me, that’s your first order.” Erwin whispered in her ear. “Don’t keep me waiting-“

Y/N dashed towards the door, not caring if the chair tipped over. She would forget about the internship and leave this stupid company, tell her University that she rejected the job. Twisting the door knob, Y/N found it to be locked. 

“No.. no no no! Someone help me! Get me out of here-“ Y/N yelled out as she banged her fist on the door. Erwin’s hand quickly grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.

”Now now Y/N. We wouldn’t want you to get fired especially from the biggest company in the world. Imagine how hard it’d be for you to get a job once people find out that you lack teamwork and manners. Not just you, what about your friends? They won’t have jobs either!” Erwin said, trying to manipulate Y/N.

”Get away from me your creep! I don’t care if that happens, you’re a nasty pervert who forces people to do things against their will.” Y/N yelled as she backed into the door.

”Whatever are you talking about my dear Y/N? You signed the contract, you’re bound to me forever. And sure we have quite an age gap, but that doesn’t stop me from living you like the pretty doll you are!” Erwin said menacingly.

”W-what.” Y/N mumbled as she stared into his icy blue eyes.

”That’s right Y/N, it’s either you get on your knees and listen to me like you’re meant to or else I’ll pull some strings and get your stupid friends in jail.” Erwin muttered as he placed a hand on her neck. “Choose wisely. You only have 10 seconds!”

What else could Y/N do? Get married to a man who was twice her age, live her life in riches in return for her obedience and body or fight back and risk her friends’ lives and futures. 

“You promise you won’t do anything to my friends.?” Y/N asked nervously. Erwin chuckled at her response as he grabbed her chin.

“Oh Y/N. I knew you’d come along with my plans.” Erwin whispered before grabbing her cheeks and pulling her into a rough yet passionate kiss. “Be a good girl and let Daddy play with you.”

.

.

.

“E-Erwin I promise I didn’t mean to do anything! I swear!” Y/N pleaded as her dress was dropped on the marble floor and Erwin dragged her by her arm.

”Nile. Of all people you go talk to that bastard!” Erwin grumbled before throwing her into their shared bedroom. “Why did you do that Y/N? To make me jealous?”

”I p-promise I didn’t do anything on purpose! He just started talking to me at the very start of the event!” Y/N sobbed out as she fell onto the floor.

”Liar. Get up right now Y/N.” Erwin demanded in which Y/N immediately listened to. “It’s because you think he looks better, right Y/N? Do you think he’s better than me?”

”No-“ Y/N begun to say.

”Did you see the way he looked at you!? You and Nile were practically kissing from what I saw, he was so close to your face. I bet everyone else saw as well.” Erwin yelled.

“N-no. I’m sorry E-Erwin.” Y/N mumbled as she looked at her feet.

“A sorry isn’t good enough. You act like such a goddess on the outside when actually you are a slut, a gold digger, my fucking whore.” Erwin muttered as he gripped her hair, causing a yelp to erupt from Y/N’s lungs.

“I’m sorry Erwin! I’ll make it up to you, I promise!” Y/N said as she held his hands.

”Oh I know you will, whether you like it or not.” Erwin replied as he pushed her on the bed.

[thena0315]

[eldritcmor]

Hear me out! Hear me out!

Demigods x monster! 141 au

Because it would be funny. I love the fics of demigods being a bit more monster than initially lead on but it doesn’t really manifest til they either get to camp (a safe place) or hit puberty. Think about it! Zeus children who smell like ozone and seem permanently caught in a storm, eagle feathers growing in. Children of Athena with too big eyes and the ability to swivel their heads like an owl, owl down growing in. Children of Hephaestus who run incredibly hot, oil in their veins and metal for skin in some places. Their hearts ticks and their fingers whir. Children of Apollo who are hard to look at, who literally glow from the sun in their blood. Who sing like birds, and predict plagues. Children of Aphrodite whose appearance changes daily. Whose eyes never settle on a color and well maintained claws. Whose honeyed words can bind or break someone.

Now add in monster! 141. A one winged dragon, a harpy, a werewolf, and a wraith. Who see these children or adults presenting monster like features but humans look at them in confusion when it comes up in conversation.

A team who gets surprised when a bronze knife is pressed into their ribs a teenager because “I swear that’s a harpy.”

A task force who goes to investigate when manhattan goes completely dark. Only to find monster children in ancient battle armor dead, dying, or fighting for their lives against creatures not seen in centuries.

A task force that gets dragged into the fight with each demigod war. Who try to help the little monster children when the weight of the world is too much. Who reach out to allies and contacts because these are children who react like soldiers when faced with a threat.

Tags: @diejager @skylordgrey @isthatafuckinggayangel @josieguts

[steddiemicrofic]

Steddie Microfic July 8th-14th Masterlist

The first one of many by @fuctacles | Rated G | no cw | tags: ren-faire, pre-relationship, transfem stevie, smitten eddie

adding one more by @steddieas-shegoes | Rated G | no cw | tags: established relationship, fluff

thoughts on an unjust detention by @loveinhawkins | Rated G | cw: implied/referenced homophobia | tags: missing scene, post season 2, pre season 3

untitled by @estrellami-1 | Rated T | no cw

A one-time thing by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation | Rated E | cw: alcohol and drug abuse | tags: car sex, rough sex, fuck buddies, pre-season 4

One Last Breath by @stranger-stardustt | Rated T | cw: main character death | tags: angst, unhappy ending

Day One (Of The Rest Of Your Life) by @yesdangerpls | Rated G | cw: prison | tags: established relationship, future fic, Eddie went to prison after Vecna

last one by @worldswcollide | Rated G | no cw | tags: established relationship, fluff

Illusory Courage by @tinytalkingtina | Rated T | cw: dead chrissy cunningham, brief description of vecna'd body | tags: fantasy dnd au, tiefling steve harrington, anti-tiefling racism, steve harrington has bad parents, half-eld eddie munson, pre-steddie, past chrissy cunningham/eddie munson, first meetings

Time Marches On by @marvel-ous-m | Rated T | cw: major character death | tags: established steddie

Take a Chance, Roll the Dice by @adverbally | Rated T | no cw | tags: established relationship, Dungeons & Dragons

gatekeeping. by @thefreakandthehair | Rated G | no cw | tags: established/married steddie, future fic, successful corroded coffin, rockstar eddie, charmingly bitchy steve

mommy's girl by @katyawriteswhump | Rated M | no cw | tags: trans-fem stevie harrington, no upside down au, angst and feels, platonic stobin, steve has an awesome mom and not-so-awesome dad

[enigmatic-prismatic]

This is a work in progress

AU again ig

I'll probably try to make eld madokami have more Gretchen in her design-

[pickalilywrites]

After reading that Oluo vs Gelger drinking competition, could you do a modern version of one? Where they're all college students on a holiday vacation together. Pairings: Rivetra, Mikenana, Eld x his fiancée

wow, i wrote that one like 5 years ago. it was fun to kind of revisit and write an au of a fic i've written, haha. thanks!

that's the holiday spirit!

scouting legion veterans. eld x fiancee. mikenana. rivetra. college au. 1690 words. read on ao3.

“Alright, let’s get this competition underway!” Abel announces with a huge grin. His cheeks are flushed from the many cups of spiked hot chocolate he had downed earlier. In his hands he has a large bottle of peppermint Smirnoff that hasn’t been opened yet. He shakes it a bit before making of show of twirling it around by its neck only to nearly drop it on the floor. Luckily, he catches it at just the last second. “Wow, it’s a good thing I didn’t drop it!”  

“Oh, stop the theatrics and let’s just get this started already!” Hanji calls. They pushes Moblit towards the table where the participants will be drinking. “Come on, Moblit! Let’s go! You can win this!” 

Like everyone else, Moblit’s cheeks are flushed and his eyes are glassy. He stumbles on over towards the table. Strangely, his expression isn’t fierce or determined like his competitors. Rather, he seems like he wants to get this over with as quickly as possible. “Shouldn’t we have started this when we were all sober? Some of us have drank more than others at this point. I don’t think it’s a fair competition.” Despite all the drinks Moblit has polished off so far, he’s impressively coherent. 

“Are you trying to back out of this, Berner?” Auruo accuses. He squints as he points at someone that he thinks is Moblit but is really Erwin. Gunther gently guides his friend’s finger towards where Moblit is standing. 

Gelgar lets out what he must think is a threatening laugh but what sounds like a strangled gurgle. “I can outdrink everyone no matter how many drinks I’ve had!” he chortles, but he sways where he stands and Nifa has to hold him upright lest he collapse on the floor.  

“Let’s just get this over with,” Moblit mutters. He’s the only one of the participants that seems to have control of his limbs. It’s clear who the winner will be even though the competition hasn’t even started. 

Everyone cheers as Abel pours the vodka messily into the shot glasses. He leaves pools of alcohol on the table, but the three competitors pick up the shot glasses without complaint and down them as quickly as possible. As the vodka slides down their throat, Gelgar and Auruo gasp and gag. Only Moblit doesn’t seem to have any reaction. 

“Oh my god,” Auruo chokes, pounding a fist against his chest. His eyes water as his throat fills with the sharp aftertaste of peppermint that only accentuates the trail of fire that the vodka has burned down his throat. Even as he tries to regain his composure, his eyes water. “Oh god, it hurts. It hurts so good.”  

“Oh, fuck yeah,” Gelgar gasps. His fist clutches the shot glass so hard that his knuckles turn white. He had only just swallowed his last shot but he seems to be swaying even more than he was before and Nifa is having trouble supporting him. “Oh, fuck. Jesus, that’s a lot.”  

“God, why the fuck are you so heavy?” Nifa grumbles. 

Moblit simply slams his empty shot glass on the table and slides it over to Abel. “Hit me again,” he says as the rest of his friends cheer.  

On the other side of the room, Eld and his fiancée Rosaline are observing with amused smiles on their faces. Eld had suggested that he and Rosaline go on a separate vacation instead of going away to a ski resort with his friends, but Rosaline had insisted. Even though she only hangs out with Eld’s larger group of friends every once and a while, she always enjoys spending time with them. 

“They’re as amusing as always,” Rosaline says. She leans her head against Eld’s shoulder and snuggles even closer to him as he wraps his arm around her.  

“I can’t believe you chose this over an intimate winter getaway with me,” Eld chuckles, his warm breath tickling her cheek. He leans in close to press a kiss against Rosaline’s temple.  

“We can always sneak away later,” Rosaline says with a coy smile. She taps a finger against the rim of the cup Eld holds in one of his hands. She takes a careful sip as Eld brings it to her lips. Her lipstick stains the rim. “Hm, I’ve been wondering this entire night. Is this ... interesting concoction your doing, Eld?”  

Eld raises his eyebrows and lifts the cup to his lips to hide his mischievous smile. He drinks exactly where Rosaline’s lips had been. “What gave it away? I followed the recipe: peppermint schnapps, vanilla vodka, and hot chocolate. Well, maybe I did make a slight improvisation.” 

Rosaline wrinkles her nose at Eld. “Perhaps that splash of gin that doesn’t quite go with everything else, although it seems like everyone else is enjoying it.” She laughs as her fiancé leans in to rub the tip of his nose against hers lovingly.  

The drinking competition is still going on although Gelgar and Auruo are looking more green with sick than flushed red with drunkenness. Still, they continue to persist even though Moblit is the only one with a real chance of winning. Every time it looks as if they are about to hurl, they swallow down the bitter bile that threatens to rise from their throats and quickly call Abel to pour them another drink. 

“You should be up there,” Nanaba says, nudging her boyfriend with her elbow. Her cheeks are flushed from the drinks she’s had that night. In her hand is cup of Eld’s spiked hot chocolate that’s only half-finished. She had downed the other cups quickly, but she takes her time with this one as she enjoys her current mellow, drunken state. “You could easily take on Moblit, don’t you think?” 

Mike chuckles and shakes his head. Even though he’s had his fair share of drinks, he’s probably the most sober person here. The slight flush of his cheeks is the only indication of alcohol in his system. “Moblit is an entirely different species of human. I can handle my liquor, but Moblit’s blood is 90 percent alcohol at this point. Apparently, only drinking can greatly relieve the stress of a neuroscience student.”  

“Poor guy,” Nanaba says with a click of her tongue. She looks up at Mike affectionately, leaning against him. “Still, don’t you think it would have been fun? You could have at least tried.”  

“For what? I don’t even think there’s a prize for first place,” Mike chuckles, and Nanaba can feel the low rumble of his laughter as she presses against his side. He reaches out to affectionately brush her hair from her face.  

“Hm, bragging rights?” Nanaba asks.  

“Then next time I’ll partake in any competition regardless of the prize so you can brag about me,” Mike says. He cracks a smile as Nanaba giggles against him and soon his laughter mingles with hers.  

On one side of the room is another couple observing the competition. Petra giggles drunkenly as she watches Auruo take another shot, spilling most of the vodka down his mouth because he’s so drunk that his hand-eye coordination is almost zero. She turns to find Levi watching the entire drinking game with an unamused expression.  

“Worried about the mess?” she asks. Everything she says is punctuated with a little giggle at the end. She can’t stand up straight and tries to lean against the wall only to find herself slipping. “Oh!” 

“I’m always worried about the mess. We’re only renting this place, after all. We can’t leave a mess,” Levi replies. He wraps an arm around Petra’s waist and pulls her against him. He doesn’t bat an eyelash when she drapes herself against him, leaning against him like a pillar and wrapping her arms around his neck. He glances over at her and brushes her hair away from her flushed cheeks. “How much have you had to drink?” 

“More than you, I’m guessing,” Petra giggles. She presses herself against him even more like she means to permanently fix herself to Levi’s side. She turns her head so that her face is pressed against his neck. As she speaks, her lips brush against his skin. “Levi, you shouldn’t worry so much. You’re the only one who isn’t having fun.”  

“Who says I’m not having fun?” Levi asks, but his tone is so flat that it’s difficult to believe he’s enjoying himself at all. A sigh escapes his lips when Petra sticks out her lower lip in a pout. He reaches out to tilt her face up towards his. “Well, do you have something else fun in mind besides watching this inane drinking competition?” 

Petra bites her lip as she tries to hold back her smile. “I might have something in mind,” she says as she pulls Levi in by the collar of his turtleneck sweater.  

Petra leans in just enough for their lips to brush against each other. Levi is the one to pull her in to close the distance between them completely. He wraps one arm around her waist, bringing Petra flush against his own body as their lips slot together. The other hand he has tenderly cupping her chin, and he gently guides her lips against his. She tastes of sweet chocolate and peppermint schnapps. Levi has never cared very much for the taste of alcohol, but he loves the taste of it on Petra’s lips so he kisses her harder to savor the flavor on her tongue only to hear something that makes him freeze. 

He can try to ignore it as much as he wants, but it’s the noise of someone being sick. From the sound of it, the person was unable to make it to the restroom.  

“It’ll bother you if you don’t clean it up, huh?” Petra whispers against his lips, and Levi nods. She knows him too well. Petra doesn’t seem bothered in the least, only amused as she pulls away from him. She reaches out to fix his hair. “To be continued, I guess.”  

Levi groans as he leans his forehead against Petra’s collarbone. “I fucking hate the holidays.”  

“Now that’s the holiday spirit,” Petra laughs.